The Punjab police on Friday said they have seized a huge cache of foreign-made pistols and arrested a weapons smuggler, allegedly linked with Pakistan-based terrorist outfits and anti-India pro-Khalistani elements based in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.
Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta said the weapons were meant for carrying out terror activities in various parts of India.
He said Jagjit Singh (25), a resident of district Batala, was arrested from near Kathunangal in Amritsar on Thursday night by a team of Punjab Internal Security Wing. “The team recovered from him two nylon bags containing 48 pistols of different foreign makes and bores, along with magazines and ammunition. The cache included 19 pistols of 9 mm [Zigana-Made in Turkey], 37 magazines and 45 rounds; 9 pistols of .30 bore (Made in China) and 22 magazines; 19 pistols of .30 bore (Star mark), 38 magazines and 148 rounds; and 1 pistol of 9 mm (Baretta-Italian) and two magazines.”
The DGP said preliminary investigation showed that Jagjit had been directed by former gangster - criminal Darmanjot Singh alias Darmanjot Kahlon, to collect and conceal the weapons’ consignment. He had been in touch with Darmanjot, at present based in the U.S. During his stay in Dubai from 2017 to December 2020, he had remained in touch with Darman.
Darmanjot had reportedly tasked Jagjit to wait for further instructions for the delivery of the pistols, said the DGP, adding that open-ended warrants for Darmanjot, a proclaimed offender in the State, had been obtained.